its fortifications are elevated three hundred and fifty feet from 
the level of the ocean. The upper is separated from the lower 
town by a stone wall, which has the form of a horn-work. 
Through this wall is a gate, which has a guard, the guard-room 
is opposite the gate, and by means of a portcullis defends the en¬ 
trance. For the convenience of foot-passengers, there is a door 
near the gate, with wooden stairs, by ascending which you reach 
the upper town. On the right side of the gate is a building which 
resembles a chapel, and serves for the house of commons of Cana¬ 
da. In order to get home, we were obliged to go round part of 
the walls of the town. Even here you have an indescribably 
beautiful view of the Bay of Quebec and the right bank of the 
river, which has the appearance of a cape called Point Levi. 
Shortly after our arrival, I received a visit from Colonel Du- 
chesnay, first adjutant of the governor-general, and from Colo¬ 
nel Darnford, director of engineers. The first gentleman came 
to bid me welcome, in the name of the governor, and the latter 
begged to show me the fortifications. Lord Dalhousie, governor- 
general of all the British possessions in North America, was at 
that time in England, but was expected daily. During his ab¬ 
sence, the government was under the direction of the lieutenant- 
governor, Sir Francis Burton, brother of Lord Conyngham. He 
is a civilian, but is said to fill his high post with credit. The good 
spirits the inhabitants are in, and the harmony that exists in the 
colony, is mostly owing to his good management, and his humane 
and friendly deportment towards them. It is said of Lord Dal¬ 
housie, that he has estranged the hearts of the people from him¬ 
self and the government, through his haughty and absolute de¬ 
portment, and the opposition party in the Canadian parliament 
has thereby been strengthened. 
With the above-mentioned public officers, we wandered through 
the city, and first of all visited the government house, which is a 
large old building, vacant during the absence of Lord Dalhousie. 
The rooms are not large, and were not as richly furnished as I ex¬ 
pected to see the mansion of an English governor-general. At the 
back of the house, over the vault, is a large balcony, from which i 
one can see part of the town, the harbour, and the surrounding 
neighbourhood. The citadel is a new work, and not quite finish¬ 
ed. The English speak with a kind of exultation of the fortifica- I 
tions of Quebec, and compare it to Gibraltar. I also expected 
something extraordinary, but cannot say that my expectations 
were gratified. The heights near the town are the well-known 
plains of Abraham, or more correctly heights of Abraham, upon 
which, on the 12th of September, 1759, the battle between the 
English general, Wolfe, and the French general, Marquis Mont- 
